Apple's Custom 5G Modem Could 'Change the Way iPhone Looks and Works' in the Long Term

Apple is investing billions of dollars into developing an in-house cellular modem, but the project is not expected to yield immediate improvements for users, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.

Apple 5G Modem Feature
In last week's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that, unlike the transition to Apple silicon, the company's first custom modem will not offer noticeable benefits for users. Individuals within Apple apparently "acknowledge that customers don't really care who makes the modem in their phone" and "it's hard to tell how big the benefits will be in the near term."

Instead, Apple is looking to play "the long game, hoping its modem will evolve into a more advanced component that could ultimately change the way an iPhone looks and works."

Down the road, there are plans for Apple to fold its modem design into a new wireless chip that handles Wi-Fi and Bluetooth access. That would create a single connectivity component, potentially improving reliability and battery life.

There's also the possibility that Apple could one day combine all of this into the device's main system on a chip, or SoC. That could further cut costs and save space inside the iPhone, allowing for more design choices.

Apple has used modems designed by Qualcomm for over a decade, but moved to design its own following a legal battle over royalties and patents in 2018. Since then, it has faced issues with performance and overheating, and the component's debut has been pushed back until next year at the earliest. Its rollout is expected to take place on a gradual basis, starting with more niche devices and expanding across the lineup over the period of a few years.

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Top Rated Comments

jz0309 Avatar
7 months ago
Nothing new here… just Gurman filling the summer hole
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
locovaca Avatar
7 months ago
Or, it can go the way of the Apple Car and be left to die before ever seeing the light of day.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mfram Avatar
7 months ago
No one "cares" about the modem in their phone... unless it sucks. Doesn't anyone remember the crappy performance with the Intel modems in the past when Apple crammed those in the phones? Verizon had the Qualcomm modems and did great. AT&T phones had the Intel modem which had crappy performance. Well, guess what? The Apple modem is just a continuation of the Intel modem. If the iPhone 16 has the Qualcomm modem and the iPhone 17 has the Apple modem, believe me there's going to be all kinds of reviewers which show how the "new" one compares to the old. Apple better get it right or the Internet will be ruthless.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Etc_ Avatar
7 months ago
Didn't Qualcomm say that it should be impossible to develop a modem as good and efficient as their own because of all the patents they hold?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
freedomlinux Avatar
7 months ago

So what's the point of Apple's own modem?
Money. The licensing fees paid to Qualcomm are based on the total retail prices of the product, estimated to average $7.50 per device.

https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/01/14/heres-how-much-apple-was-paying-qualcomm-in-royalt.aspx

If Apple manages to make their own modems, avoid using Qualcomm's IP, and reduce their licensing fees, that adds up over millions/billions of devices. It doesn't matter if you get a slightly-worse-but-good-enough modem if they can save $5.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DaniTheFox Avatar
7 months ago
Does this mean we will finally have a mobile connection in our laptops?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)